Figure toy



, Feb. 15 1927.

1,617,899 F. J. DICK FIGURE TOY Filed May 24J 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 15m/f Cf. @qq/:m44

attouwqd Feb.l 15,1927.

FT J. DICK FIGURE 'TOY Filed May 24, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 atroz m44 i Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK J. DICK, 0F CANTON, OHIO.

FIGURE TOY.

Application filed May 24,

The invention relates to a mechanical toy wherein a jointed manikin is secured by its hands to a spindle by which it may be swung to perform various acrobatic feats; and the object of the improvement is to provide an operating crank and a cord pulley by means of which the manikin can be manipulated by rotating the spindle in reverse AdirectionsV under complete control of the crank, without imparting any sudden stops or shocks to the manikin.

It is difficult to operate a toy of this kind by ordinary belt, cable or cord pulleys, because when the belt or cord is tensioned on the wheels or coiled around the same enough to prevent a slipping thereon, the starting, reversing and stopping of the spindle is so sudden as to-interfere with the most satisfactory manipulations of the manikin; and also tends to .strain the mechanism and to break the belt or cord.

To overcome these difficulties, the present invention involves the use of a cord pulley in which the cord is connected to the wheels and coiled around the same as many times as may be necessary to permit the crank to be turned a predetermined number of'times, and the use of yielding means, as a coiled expansion spring, in the cord to absorb the shocks of the starting, reversing and stoppingl of the turning of the crank.

The number and variety of the positions and contortions which the manikin may be made to assume by a manipulation of the toy, is greatly increased by jointing the manikin at the knees as well as at the hips and shoulders; and an increased number of interesting combinations to be made by the toy is obtained by using a second manikin as a supporting bearing for one end of the spindle.

The invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a. front elevation of the toy, showing the manikin in one position, which it may assume in the operation;

Fig. 2, a rear elevation of the same disclosing the pulley, the manikin being shown in another position; and

Fig. 3, a vertical, sectional view through the toy.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The toy includes a base 1 spaced from the table or other surface upon which it is placed, by side and end walls 2 and 3 re- 1924. Serial N0. 715,505.

spectively. A bearing standard t is connected to the rear side of the base and may be provided with any suitable ornamenten tion at its upper end, such as the representztiVon of a portion of a circus tent, shown a o. i

A spindle 6 is journaled at the rear in and through the standard 1 at a point intermediate the base and the upper end of the upright, and the front end of the spindle is journaled in a suitable support, which may be in the form of a` rigid figure of a man as shown at 7, the feet 8 resting upon the base 1, and the legs being fixed to a raised platform 9 as by the screws or their equivalents 10. The arms 11 of the man may be raised above the head, the hands 12 forming bearings for the upper end of the shaft 6.

The jointed manikin 13 is secured to the spindle 6 at the hands 14. The arms 15 are jointed to the body at the shoulders 16, the thighs 17 are jointed to the body at the hipsI 18, and to the legs 19 at the knees 20. Radial fingers 20 on the legs operating between stop tongues 18 on the4 thighs, may be provided for llimiting the turning of the knee joint.

By thus joining the leg at the knee and limiting the movement of the lower leg portion, the manikin is permitted to assume practically any natural position such as sitting naturally upon the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, or standing' upon the platform, as shown in Fig. 2. y

The knee joints in the legs permit the manikin to perform numerous well known gym nastic or acrobatic movements and permit the body of the manikin to entirely revolve upon the shouder pivots 16, allowing the legs to swing through the arms between the body and the shaft.

A vpulley wheel 22 is fixed upon the rear end of the shaft 6 and is hidden by the standard 4, and a cord or cable 23 is wrapped several times around said pulley and fixed at one place thereto as by a pin 24 passed through a loop 211 extended through an aperture 2a in the flange of the pulley wheel.

A shaft 25 is j ournaled in and through the walls 2 of the base and the upright 4, and is provided with a crank 26 on its forward end. The turning of the crank may be limited to one complete rotation in each direction by stop pin 27.

A pulley 28 is fixed upon the rear end of noy the shaft 25, and the cord 23 is wrapped several times around said pulley and fixed at one place thereto, as by a pin 29. The cord is drawn taut around and between the pulleys and the ends thereof are connected by a resilient connection such as the coil spring 30, which acts as a shock absorber The cord is wrapped around the respective pulleys a sutiicient number of times to permit the crank to be turned one complete rotation in each direction, without being stopped by the connections between the cord and the pulleys; and the parts are so proportioned that the spring will not impinge a pulley during the predetermined rotation of the crank.

In manipulating the toy, the crank Q6 is turned, rotating the pulley 28, and through the cord 23, rotating the rotating pulley 22 and shaft 6, causing the manilrin to be revolved around the shaft, assuming a gir-eat variety of interesting and grotesque positions.

By suddenly reversing the direction of movement of the crank, the inanilrin may be caused to assume various unexpected and amusing positions. The coil spring 30 acts as a shock absorber to take up the jar caused by this sudden reversing of the movement of the shaft, thus permitting the toy to be operated at will without transmitting t-he shock or jar to the manikin.

The parts are so proportioned that the height of the spindle from the platform is less than the length of the manikin, so that the feet of the maniliin may rest upon the platform to flex the several joints thereof.

I claim:

1. A toy including a rotatable spindle, a ly'ointed manikin fiXedly mounted on the spindle, a pulley upon the spindle, a drive pulley and a driving connection between the pulleys including a cord wrapped around each pulley and connected to each pulley, and an elastic connection between the ends of the cord.

2. A toy including a rotatable spindle, a `iointed manilrin fiXedly mounted on the spindle and pulley on the spindle, a crank shaft havii'ig a pulley thereon and a driving conneetion between the pulleys including a cord wrapped around and connected to each pulley and an elastic connection between the ends of the cord intermediate the pulleys.

3. A toy including a rotatable spindle and a manikin comprising a body, arms iXedly connected to the spindle and jointed to the body, legs jointed at the knees and to the body, a pulley upon the spindle, a drive pnlley. and a driving connection between the pulleys including a cord wrapped around each pulley and connected to each pulley, and an elastic connection between the ends of the cord, whereby the rotation of the spindle causes the manikin to assume various natural positions.

In testimony that I claim the above7 I have hereunto subscribed my name.

FRANK J. DICK. 

